Discovering Green Futures: My Eye-Opening Field Trip to Explore Sustainable Careers

“No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” - Barack Obama.

On August 8th, 2024, 24 members of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA) and community partners, including middle school, high school, and one graduate student, embarked on a journey filled with inspiration, connections, motivation, and new friendships. Starting bright and early at 8:30 a.m., we visited three interesting sites in San Jose and Sunnyvale, each stop offering unique insights into the world of sustainability and green careers.

Our adventure began at Sunnyvale City Hall, a futuristic office building where Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein warmly greeted us. Mayor Klein led us on a tour of the City Hall, showcasing its innovative features. One of the most inspiring moments of the trip was learning how the city repurposed wood from redwood trees cut down during the hall's construction. This wood was transformed into tables, chairs, and even doors, preserving a tangible connection between nature and the building. Additionally, we discovered the city's thoughtful approach to wildlife safety—windows were designed to be more opaque and lined to prevent birds from flying into them.

Next, we visited the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer Station (SMaRT), a solid waste management and recycling center operated by the Sunnyvale Public Works Department. After donning safety gear, we climbed narrow stairs to begin our tour, quickly realizing the challenging work environment the staff faces daily. The smell intensified as we ascended, and the limited automation and the labor-intensive sorting process struck us. This experience highlighted a significant gap in our technological advancements. While humanity has achieved incredible feats, like sending rovers to Mars, our waste management systems still rely heavily on human labor. It made me reflect on how we have invested so much in training Large Language Models (LLMs), but we need more to improve technologies that could enhance waste processing. It was a sobering reminder of how our approach to managing solid waste could significantly impact our future.

Our final stop was at Itron, a global leader providing intelligent meters, network solutions, and data analytics to towns and cities worldwide. Itron's mission is to conserve resources, helping customers save energy and water while enhancing convenience. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Hoi, who generously shared a bag of banh mi for lunch—a delicious start to our visit. Inside Itron, we marveled at the innovation and rigorous testing conducted within their facilities. We even spent time in a specially insulated room, isolated from the outside world and the building's network. This visit also provided the opportunity to explore various careers in green industries, engaging directly with managers and leaders in different roles. By the end of the day, I felt enriched by the experiences, the connections made, the insightful questions asked, and the wealth of knowledge gained.

Exploring the vast arr ay of career paths within the green industry was an enriching experience. Witnessing the unwavering commitment of professionals dedicated to preserving our planet for future generations was genuinely inspiring.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mayor Larry Klein and the Sunnyvale City Hall staff for their warm welcome and informative tour, which gave us a firsthand look at the innovative efforts to create a sustainable future. Additionally, a big thank you to Dan from Itron for hosting us and sharing invaluable insights into the cutting-edge work being done in energy management. Your time and dedication made this trip a memorable and educational experience for all of us.

Written by Prakruti Sunil